The UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan
has expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Kashmir and appreciated
the initiative of Prime Minister Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to send the
Pakistan ForeignMinister to New Delhi to defuse the situation.

The Secretary General talked to Mr. Muhammad
Nawaz Sharif on telephone yesterday and reiterated the need for the political
solution of Kashmir dispute. He assured continued UN interest in
the situation.

Mr. Kofi Annan appreciated the sincere
views expressed by the Prime Minister and his desire to de-escalate the
situation and resumption of talks with India.

The Prime Minister told about the dangerous
situation caused by the unprovoked Indian military action in the Kargil
sector. Referring to the use of military aircraft and helicopter gunships
by India he observed that the action is unprecedented.

Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif set aside Indian
allegations of Pakistan's involvement in alleged infiltration across
the line of control and described it as a pretext to justify Indian actions.
He said India is engaged in suppressing the indigenous Kashmiri uprising
for the last ten years. In this connection Pakistan has only extended moral
and politicalsupport the freedom fighters who also
deserve international support as they are struggling for the right of self
determination as promised by the United Nations itself.

PM-OIC:

The Prime Minister has sent a message to
the OIC Secretary General expressing concern at the escalated Indian
military action against Kashmiri Mujahideen and incursions across the Line
of Control.

In his message, the Prime Minister said
that Pakistan desired that durable peace should be established in the region.
He expressed the commitment to the Lahore Declaration and to the dialogue
process which requires Pakistan and India to intensify efforts to resolve
all issues peacefully including the core issue of Kashmir.

VAJPAYEE-ANNAN:

The UN Secretary General talked to the
Indian Prime Minister Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee on telephone and offered
to send an envoy to India and Pakistan.

The Indian Prime Minister rejected his
offer and said if at all a UN envoy has to be sent, he should be sent to
Pakistan.

The US Secretary of State Ms.Medline Albright
also discussed on phone with the Indian External Affairs Minister the developments
in Kargil. She stressed to resolve the conflict through talks.

IRAN:

Iran has offered to intervene in the current
crisis between India and Pakistan. The Speaker of Iranian Parliament Ali
Akbar Nateq Nuri said in Teheran yesterday that as chairman of the Organization
of the Islamic Conference, Iran is prepared to help solve the crisis between
the two countries.

FIRING:

Several villages including Bandala Piyana
in Samani valley in Azad Kashmir are being vacated and the people have
started shifting to safer places in Bhimber district to escape unprovoked
Indian firing. According to officials in Mirpur town of Azad Kashmir, seven
people including a woman have been killed and fifteen others injured by
the Indian army bombardment on the villages.

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21/2200 HOURS OF 30-05-99

PM-ANNAN:

The UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan,
telephoned the Prime Minister,Mr.
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and conveyed his appreciation for hisinitiative of offering to send Foreign Minister
to New Delhi to defusethe current
situation.

The Prime Minister informed the Secretary
General of the dangerousescalation
caused by the unprovoked military action by India in theKargil
sector. He said Indian allegation of Pakistan's involvement inalleged
infiltration across the Line of Control is baseless and pretextto justify the current escalation. India was
engaged in suppressing andindigenous Kashmiri struggle for the last
ten year.

The Prime Minister affirmed Pakistan's
desire for de-escalation and theresumption
of Lahore process which requires the two countries to resolveall
problems including Kashmir.

The Kashmir issue is the root cause of
all tension in the region andneeded
to be resolved to improve security environment in South Asia. ThePrime Minister asked the UN Secretary General
to play a role and help tostrengthen and activate the UNMOGIP and
consider sending a special envoyto
the region. The Prime Minister also renewed his invitation to theSecretary General to visit Pakistan.

The Secretary General expressed his concern
over the deterioration inthe situation
and reiterated the need for a political solution of theKashmir
dispute.

He also appreciated the candid and sincere
views expressed by the PrimeMinister
and his desire for de-escalation and resumption of peacefuldialogue.
He assured the Prime Minister of his continued interest in thesituation
and expressed the hope that every effort will be made todefuse
the crisis.

VAJPAYEE-ANNAN:

The UN Secretary General also talked to
the Indian Prime Minister Mr.Atal
Behari Vajpayee on telephone and suggested and offered to send anenvoy to India and Pakistan.

The Indian Prime Minister rejected his
offer and said if at all a UNenvoy
has to be sent, he should be sent Pakistan.

SHELLING:

At least seven persons were martyred and
fifteen injured due tounprovoked
Indian army shelling in village Bandala Piyana on thePakistani
side of the Line of Control in the Samni valley Sunday.

Those killed also include a woman.An official sources in the Azad Kashmir
town of Mirpur said casualtiesmay rise.

He said firing by Indian troops also
damaged scores of houses

The Pakistan army is giving proper
response to the Indian firing whichwas
continuing when last reports came in.

CLASHES:

At least forty Indian soldiers were killed
and over one hundred andfifty others
, thirty of them seriously, in continued armed clashesbetween
Indian forces and Mujahideen in Kargil and Drass areas inOccupied
Kashmir.

Indian forces in Srinagar confirmed the
deaths of thirty Indian soldiersand
injured to one hundred thirty others whereas dozens of the Indiansoldiers are massing in kargil and Drass sectors
believed to be capturedby freedom
fighters.

There are also reports about martyrdom
of some Kashmiri Mujahideenduring
continued attacks by the Indian Air Force in the snow clad Kargiland Drass areas. Indian Air Force is using
latest air to surfacemissiles in the
ongoing operation against freedom fighters in the area.

Meanwhile, the Srinagar airport is still
closed for all sorts ofcivilian traffic
and being used for the fighter planes of the Indian AirForce
for Kargil-Drass operation.

KASHMIR:

In occupied Kashmir, reports from
Kargil say that despite four days ofIndian
bombing, the freedom fighters remain firmly entrenched in theirpositions on strategic heights and continue
their actions againstIndian
military installations.

The Indian troops have failed
to make any headway because ofMujahideens'
operations. Instead, they are reported to have sufferedheavy
losses in men and material.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of All Parties
Hurriyat Conference, Syed AliShah
Gilani, addressing a big rally in Srinagar, expressed theapprehension
that ruthless use of air and land forces againstMujahideen
in Kargil might lead to nuclear catastrophe. Therefore, hesaid, the imperative need was to settle
the Kashmir issue, which wasthe basic cause of tension and confrontation
between India andPakistan. he urged
the United Nations to intervene in view of thegravity
of the situation.

Other APHC leaders, Muhammad Yaseen
Malik,Maulvi Abbas Ansari andMaulana
Ghulam Muhammad Butt also expressed grave concern over theKargil
situation and called for effective steps to resolve the Kashmirissue in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiri
people.

AFGHAN INDIA:

The Afghan government has strongly rejected
the Indian allegations thatTaliban
are fighting against Indian forces in Occupied Kashmir.

The Afghan Ambassador in Islamabad Moulvi
Saeedur Rehman told AfghanIslamic
Press that Indian government is levelling false allegations tosuppress
the struggle of freedom fighters against Indian yoke.

He said that Afghan government would continue
to extend full political,diplomatic
and moral support to the Kashmiris struggling for the rightof
self determination.

DENIAL:

Pakistan has denied the Indian baseless
allegation that the pilot ofIndian
aircraft was shot dead after he landed in Pakistani territorywhen his plane was downedA
military spokesman dismissing the Indian claim told AFP that
theclaim was very ridiculous and a
propaganda stunt . He said no armywould
shoot a captured fighter pilot who would much more valuablealive than dead. It may be recalled
that immediately after theshooting
down of the plane Pakistan lost no time in returning the bodyof the pilot.